Desk attachment for chairs



(No Model.)

M. C. HUTTON.

DESK ATTAGHMBNTFOR GHAIRS.

Pat nted Aug. 9, 1892.

we News persas co., gnam-urna., v/Asnwuwn, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON O. HUTTON, OF GEORGETOVN, TEXAS.

DESK ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,386, dated August 9, 1892.

Application iiled October 28, 1891. Serial No. 410,092. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON C. HUTToN, of Georgetowmin the county of VilliaInson and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Desk Attachment for Chairs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descripion.

My invention relates to an improved desk attachment for chairs, beds, and otherarticles of furniture; and the object of the invention is to provide a desk or table capable of being quickly and conveniently applied to an article of furniture and capable of being adjusted toward the person or vertically, as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure durable, light, and economic, and to provide a means whereby a book or other object may be prevented from slipping off from the table when placed thereon.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as Will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figurel is a front elevation of a chair and also a front elevation of the desk attachment applied to the chair. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the chair and the attachment. Fig. 3isaside elevation of the chair and an end view of the attachment. Fig. 4 is a detail View illustrating the manner of attaching the device to a bedstead. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a support for one end of the device when so applied. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the slotted disk and its bar, the bar being broken away.

The board 10, constituting the top of the table, Inay be of any desired shape, and upon its inner side upon the center is preferably provided with a slight concavity, as is usual in lap-boards. Each end of the board is provided with a different means for attaching it to an article of furniture. The construction of the locking mechanism at the right-hand end of the board is as follows: A clamp 11 is employed to engage directly with the arm, the upper portion of a leg of a chair, or with the rail of a bedstead. This clamp is preferably made in two sections hinged together and united by a screw 12, controlled by a locknut 13, and by turning the nut upon the screw the members of the sections of the clamp may be carried in direction of one another or away from each other. Integral with or attached to the outerend of the clamp is a disk 14, having upon its outer face a series of teeth, and a second and similarly-toothed disk 15 is held in engagement with the toothed surface of the disk 14 through the medium of a bolt 16, passing up through the two disks and provided with a thumb or lock nut 17. The bolt 16 also passes throughalongitudinal slot produced in a bar 1S, the said bar being vertically located, and between the bar and the thumb-nut 17 a suitable washer is located. The upper end of the bar 18 is firmly attached to a disk 19 near the periphery ot' the latter. The disk 19 is horizontally located and is provided with a slot extending through nearly from one edge to the other, as shown partially in dotted lines in Fig. 2. A second disk 20, engaging with the disk 19, is secured upon the under face of the board 10, and one end of a bolt 21 is attached to the upper disk and is passed through a slot in the lower disk 19, and the lower end of Said bolt is provided With a thumb-nut and Washer.

Vhen the attachment is to be used as a writing desk or table, a drawer 22 is located, preferably, at the right-hand end thereof, and a suitable ink-well 23 is also placed in the board at or near its center, the ink-well being preferably made removable.

Upon the top of the board at or near its center, and preferably near the inner concaved edge, a bar 24 is centrally pivoted, which bar is capable of being carried transversely of the board diagonally thereof and longitudinally for the purpose of dividing the board or for use as a support for any article placed upon it, and thus prevent said article from slipping from the board when held in an inclined position. A clamp-block 25 is provided for the opposite end of the board, adapted for attachment to the article of furniture, and the jaws of this latter clamp-block are controlled by a bolt 26 and a suitable nut 27. Upon the outer side of the clamp-block two eyes 28 and 29 are secured, the lower eye being horizontally located and the upper one vertically. In connection with the clamp- IOO block 25 a bar 30 is employed. This bar is provided with a vertical slot 3l, and at its lower end with a tongue 32, the tongue of the bar being adapted to enter the lower eye 29 of the clamp-block and the slot 31 to receive the uppereye 28, which latter eye prevents the bar from having lateral movement. The bar is provided with a handle 33 of any approved formation conveniently located upon its outer face, and the said bar is adapted as a support for two links 34 and 35, which links cross each other and are held in engagement with the upper portion of the bar through the medium of a screw 36 and a lock-nut 37. The upper ends of these links are pivotally attached to the opposite ends of a cross-bar 37, said bar being recessed to receive the innermost link and the cross-bar may be rigidly secured to the under face of the board 10; but the attachment between the bar and the board is preferablyan adjustable one, and this attachment is preferably effected through the medium of hinges 38,0ne member of each hinge being adjustably secured to the under face of the board. This is usually effected by slotting the hinge and passing through the hinge into the board a screw or like fastening device, as shown in Fig. 2. The 0bject of hinging the cross-bar is to admit of the links being folded up beneath the board when not in use and maintained in the folded position by a button 39. Then these links are so folded, the board is removed from engagement with the upper disk 19.

As heretofore stated, the desk table orboard may be employed for various purposes. Among others it may be employed as a light ironing-table, and when so used a central support is necessary. To that end a standard 40 is constructed having a series of notches or recesses 41 produced in the lower portion thereof for engagement with the rungs of a chair, as shown in Fig. 1. This standard or upright is carried at an inclination outward, and its upper end maybe made to bear against a stop-block 42, secured to the under face of the board.

Vhen the device is to be attached to a bedstead, the clamp 11 is secured to a side board of the bed at the upper edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 4; but the slotted bar 18, carrying the disk 19, is not attached directly to this clamp through the medium of the toothed disks 14 and 15, but an angled bar 43 is interposed. This angled bar is horizontally located, one end being slotted to receive the bolt 16, connected with the clamp or clip 11, and the other end being provided with a bolt 44 and a nut 45, the former being adapted to pass through the slot in the bar 18, and as a support for the bar 30, carrying the links 34 and 35, a post 46 is employed, attached to a base 47, which base is adapted to rest upon the bedding and carries the eyes 28 and 29, heretofore referred to.

The board 10 may be adjusted to or from the person occupying the chair to which the device is attached by turning the thumb-nut upon the bolt 21 in a manner to loosen the engagement between the two upper disks 19 and 20, and when this is accomplished the table may be carried to or from the occupant of the chair at the right-hand end, as the bolt 2l will travel in the slot of the disk 19, and when a suitable adjustment has been made 4the nut upon said bolt is screwed up again and the nut upon the bolt 26, controlling the links at the opposite end of the board, is loosened, and that end is then adjusted to correspond to the other. f

It is evident that the board may be tiltedthat is, given an inclined positionby manipulating the nut 17 upon the bolt 16, connected with the toothed disks 14 and 15, whereupon the links at the opposite end will automatically adjust themselves to a proper inclination. Vertical adjustment is obtained through the medium of the slotted bars 18 and 30 at opposite ends of the table.

When an occupant desires to leave the chair and the table or desk device isin front of him, by graspiugthe handle 33 at the left-hand end the bar 30 may be lifted from connection with the eye 29, and then by moving it straight to the left it may be disengaged from the upper eye 28, at which time the left-hand end of the device may be swung clear of its clamping-block, the table turning on the bolt 21 as a pivot.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a desk attachment for chairs, &c.,the combination, with a board, of a slotted bar having its upper end pivotally and adjustably secured to the board, a clamp toothed disk between the clamp and slotted bar and engaging each other, a bolt passing through the clamp, the toothed disks, and the slotted bar, and a nut on said bolt, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a clamp, disks carried by the clamp, having their opposed surfaces toothed, and a board or table located above the clamp and disks, of a bar adjustably connected with the disks, a tension device controlling the bar and the disks, a platform connected with the bar and provided with a slot, and an adjusting-screw connected with the table and passed downward through the slot in the platform, as and for the purpose specitied.

3. In a desk attachment for chairs, duc., the combination, with a board, a slotted bar having its upper end pivotally and adjustably secured to the board, and a clamp to which the said bar is adjustably secured, of a second clamp, a bar detachably connected to the clamp, and links pivotally connected to the board and adj ustably secured to the said bar, substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

4. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a board or table, a bar having a pivotal and adjustable connection with the table, a clamp, disks carried by the clamp, having thei r engaging surfaces toothed, and an adj listing-screw carried by the clamp, controlling the disks and the bar, of a second clamp provided With a socket and a guide device, a bar slotted to receive the guide device and fitted into the socket of the clamp, and links adjustably secured to the upper end of the bar, the said links being pivotally connected With the board or table, as and for the purpose speciiied.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a board or table, a bar having a pivotal and adjustable connection with the table, a clamp, disks carried by the cla1np,havingtheir engaging surfaces toothed, and an adjusting-screw carried bythe clamp, controlling the disks and the bar, of a second clamp provided With a socket and aguide device, a bar slotted to receive the guide device and titted into the socketof the clamp, and links adj ustably secured to the upper end of the bar, the said links having an adj ustable hinged connection with the board or table, and means, substantially as described, for

locking the links, as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a device ot the character described, the combination, with a board or table, a bar having a pivotal and adjustable connection with the table, a clamp, disks carried by the clamp,havingtheir engaging surfaces toothed, and an adj listing-screw carried by the clamp, controlling the disks and the bar, of asecond clamp provided with a socketand a guide device, a bar slotted to receive the guide device and fitted into the socket of the clamp, links adjustably secured to the upper end of the bar, the said links having an adjustable hinged connection With the board or table, means, substantially as described, for locking the links, a stop-bar attached to the under face of the table, a rest-bar pivotally connected With the top of the table, and a supporting bar provided With a toothed or notched lower end and adapted for engagement With the stop-bar, as and for the purpose specified.

MILTON C. HUTTON.

Witnesses:

J. F. TAULBEE, COOPER SANsoM. 

